Dale Corman, 88, Passes Away

As the mining industry faces new challenges and the demand for metals grows globally, Canada has lost one of its key pioneers in precious and critical metals.

Dale Corman, who led various companies and developed multiple mines both in Canada and internationally, died on April 29 at the age of 88. The experienced miner, trained as a geologist and engineer, played a significant role in metal discoveries across Canada during the 1970s. This work eventually contributed to the San Nicolas and Peñasquito finds in Mexico. Peñasquito is now recognized as Mexico’s largest gold mine, currently operated by Newmont.

Corman was born in St. Catharines, Ontario to a farming family that had paved the way for him to manage an orchard in the Niagara fruit belt. However, he opted instead to explore geology and earned his BSc (Geology) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York in 1961.

He spent one summer working with the Geological Survey of Canada in British Columbia before spending a year studying law at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

“I learned enough law just to be dangerous. It certainly helped me through my career,” he said during his Canadian Mining Hall of Fame (CMHF) induction ceremony in 2022.

Sturgeon Lake

Not fond of working outdoors, he transitioned into a mining analyst role within the investment sector during the 1970s and joined Harbinson Mining and Oil Group. There, he assisted with managing a group of 15 junior companies. It was also during this time that he played a part in bringing into production the Sturgeon Lake base metal mine located in Ontario, along with the Lake George antimony mine in New Brunswick and the Cullaton Lake gold mine situated in Nunavut.

In the late 1980s, Corman shifted his focus towards copper and precious metals projects across Canada and Mexico. His company, Thermal Exploration, entered into a joint venture with Western Copper concerning the Carmacks deposit found in Yukon. Following a successful feasibility study completed in 1994, Thermal Exploration merged with Western Copper to create Western Copper Holdings which Corman chaired as CEO.

<p. In 1997, recognizing potential for a substantial polymetallic mine at Peñasquito site located in Mexico, Corman spearheaded Western Copper’s acquisition of this project. He also collaborated with Teck to investigate nearby San Nicolas deposit. Eventually, Western Copper evolved into Western Silver which was later purchased by Glamis Gold for $1.3 billion back in 2006 due to its Mexican assets.

Corman initiated spinning off Western Copper & Gold back in 2011 while advancing forward on Casino copper-gold porphyry project based out of Yukon-currently considered one of world’s fifth-largest copper-gold initiatives under junior miner control.

Scholarship

After retiring from Western Copper nearly five years ago, the company made a generous donation of $150,000 towards establishing scholarship fund named after Corman aimed at supporting Yukon students pursuing engineering or science degrees. Corman matched this contribution personally adding another $150 thousand donation himself.

The determined Corman didn’t officially retire until his mid-80s stating during acceptance speech given at CMHF,” I thoroughly enjoyed my fifty years within mining business – it’s amazing how time flies when you’re having fun.”

Northisle Copper and Gold-founded by Corman back around year two thousand eleven-announced through press release Dale is survived by wife Caroline along children alongside other family members.

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